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Tire Wear Particle Microbiome-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Function as Potent Vectors Amplifying Antimicrobial Resistance Risk in Soil Ecosystems
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Researchers found that bacteria colonizing tire wear particles release extracellular vesicles at six times the rate of those in bulk soil or water, and that these vesicles are selectively loaded with antibiotic resistance genes — including multidrug and tetracycline resistance — and can transfer functional resistance to Pseudomonas aeruginosa and E. coli, establishing tire wear particles as a novel urban pathway in the spread of antimicrobial resistance.
Tire wear particles (TWPs), a ubiquitous and characteristic pollutant of the Anthropocene, are emerging as a critical environmental hotspot for pathogenic bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Despite concentrating these threats, the nanoscale mechanisms driving ARG dissemination from TWPs remain elusive. Here, we identify bacterial extracellular vesicles (EVs) as a critical, yet overlooked, vector for resistance transfer within the TWP plastisphere. We found that the TWP microhabitat stimulated a significantly higher proportion of colonizing potential pathogens to release EVs (46.3%) compared to bulk soil and water combined (7.3%). Moreover, these TWP-derived EVs were selectively enriched with critical ARGs, notably those conferring multidrug and tetracycline resistance. Functionally, we confirmed that these ARG-loaded EVs could transfer resistance traits, significantly enhancing the survival of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 and Escherichia coli DH5α under antibiotic stress. Together, our findings demonstrate that TWPs induce colonized pathogens to release ARG-carrying EVs, which subsequently enhance the phenotypic antibiotic resistance of recipient pathogenic bacteria. This study reveals that TWP-derived EVs serve as a bridge between environmental and clinical resistomes, representing a new urbanization-driven pathway in the antimicrobial resistance crisis.
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In a soil and vegetable plant study, tire wear particles changed soil chemistry and microbial communities, increasing antibiotic resistance genes in soil, roots and leaves, with effects peaking at certain particle concentrations. The study suggests tire wear particles may contribute to antibiotic resistance genes entering vegetables in the food chain.
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Researchers studied how tire particles and the chemicals they release affect antibiotic resistance genes in coastal sediment microorganisms. They found that both the physical particles and their chemical leachates increased the abundance of antibiotic resistance genes and altered microbial community structure. The findings suggest that tire wear pollution in coastal areas may contribute to the spread of antibiotic resistance in marine environments.
Tire wear particles enhance horizontal gene transfer of antibiotic resistance genes in aquatic ecosystems
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Researchers investigated whether tire wear particles can promote the transfer of antibiotic resistance genes between bacteria in aquatic environments. They found that tire particles significantly enhanced gene transfer rates, with metals like zinc leaching from the particles playing a key role in this process. The findings suggest that tire wear pollution in waterways may contribute to the growing problem of antibiotic resistance.
Enhanced transformation of antibiotic resistance genes: a new environmental risk of tire wear particles and leachates
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Researchers found that tire wear particles (TWPs) and their leachate can significantly enhance the transfer of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) into bacteria, with leachate increasing transformation frequency up to 13-fold compared to controls. The leachate promoted ARG uptake by inducing oxidative stress and increasing membrane permeability, while the particles themselves had an opposing inhibitory effect, revealing a complex dual mechanism by which TWPs may accelerate the spread of antibiotic resistance in the environment.
Aging-mediated selective adsorption of antibiotics by tire wear particles: Hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions effects
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Tire wear particles (a major form of microplastic pollution on roads) become more porous and adsorptive after aging through freeze-thaw cycles or ozone exposure, increasing their capacity to carry certain antibiotics by up to 28-fold for fluoroquinolones. However, the same aging process reduces adsorption of sulfonamide and tetracycline antibiotics, reflecting how the chemistry of both the particle and the antibiotic interact. This shows that weathered tire particles on roadways and in waterways can act as vehicles for antibiotic transport, with implications for antibiotic resistance spread in the environment.
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